Concord Rangers 0, Grays Athletic 2

GRAYS Athletic booked their place in the final of the Essex Senior Cup with a fantastic victory over Concord Rangers.

Brian Moses scored his first senior goal to give Blues the lead after half an hour before Danny Bunce, Blues’ quarter-final goal hero, sealed the win in the 90th minute after Grays had survived wave after wave of Concord attack.

Blues will now have to wait to find out who they face in the final. Either Waltham Abbey or Southend, who play tonight [Wednesday] will play Hornchurch in the other semi-final.

In a thrilling but scrappy encounter Blues showed a little more composure on the ball and worked that bit harder than their Ryman Premier League opponents to win the fifty-fifty balls.

The visitor’s endeavour and efficiency paid off when Moses gave them the lead in the 32nd minute.

With all the luck of a gritty cup underdog, the towering forward gathered the ball from a Lee Flynn throw.

To the left of the goal and from an acute angle, he kneed the ball goalward, only to see it loop over Tom Lovelock and into the net.

It was Moses’ first senior goal for Grays and ensured Hakan Heyrettin’s men went in a goal up at the break.

The second half was hit by a lengthy delay following what appeared to be a serious injury to Concord skipper James White. The injury was not as bad as first feared though, as White sat up when stretchered off.

Following the stoppage though, it was a backs against the wall job for Blues.

Junior Baker, Ryan Kirby and Lamar Johnson denied Concord on a number of occasions, with Beachboys themselves wasteful as they sought the equaliser.

But in stoppage time the ball landed at the feet of Bunce, who showed immense composure to lash home past Lovelock to seal the win.

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